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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · lash · key · hand · rush · stem · fork · toast

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fork — in a road
  13. key — in music
  14. toast — bread
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com